Is Joel Kinnaman The New Robocop?

The Robocop remake that's been in development for years is finally getting ready to go in front of the cameras, and at last, a firm offer has been made to an actor who might play him. Deadline reports that Joel Kinnaman, of The Killing and a small but memorable role in Safe House, has been offered the part in the film, which will be directed by Elite Squad's Jose Padilha from a recent script rewrite from Nick Schenk.

As with any major role in a highly anticipated film, rumors have flown for months about who might step into the metal outfit and face mask, with the latest one pegging Russell Crowe for the job. The problem with those rumors, and most that surround highly coveted roles like this, is that they focused on well-known actors, while the whole point of a reboot like this is to make the name of the property, not the star, the selling point. It's the same logic that led relative unknowns like Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth to lead huge films like Star Trek and Thor; sell people on the title, and let the star prove himself once he's in the seats.

Kinnaman, for his part, does seem to have what it takes to become a Pine/Hemsworth-type breakout star. His brief scene in Safe House was a highlight of that muddled film, and while The Killing hasn't turned out as well as most people hoped, nobody seems to be blaming him for it. He seems like a good choice for the role, and certainly more age-appropriate than Crowe was. Now that they might have a leading man on board, we can finally get to the really fun part of this Robocop reboot-- actually making the damn movie.